Spring-wheel.



R. STOCK.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT.14,1910.

1,031,098, I Patented July 2,1912.

I I V r i 2 mu Imus Inc Lmm (Asmlmwm u. c.

STATES ROBERT STOCK, OF SILVER-GREEK, NEW YORK.

srnme wnnnn v Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented July 2, 1912.

Application filed September 14, 1910. Serial No. 581,935.

Total Z it'may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT STOCK, a citizeinof theUnited States,

Greek, -m the county of Chautauqua and 'i -S.tate of New York, have inyented new'and useful I which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is the production of a spring wheel which is as resilient asthe-pneumatic wheels now in common use Il5 .ti vely low cost.

and which is very. durable, not liable to get out of order; and of such construction that the same can be readily assembled and dismembered and manufactured at compara- In. the accompanying drawings: Figure -l is a side elevation, tly in section, of my 2 and 3 are fragmentary or Eigc' tie a. plan view of several of the supporting shoes of the wheel.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

outer supporting shoes which are arranged supporting shoes alternate 111 an annular row around the rim and each of, which is preferably constructed of out 'wardly-dishedform of sheet metal, so that the same:-=l1as.. so me resilience. The inner with the outer supporting slides and each outer shoe laps at its opposite ends over the adjacent ends of .tlie two inner'shoes on opposite sides of the respective outer shoe.

slide or guide rods each of which is connected at its outer end'to the central part of aniinner shoe and arranged at its inner end in ,one of the hollow spokes while its central part passes through an opening f in the rim in line with the respective spoke.

At its inner end the main slide rod is provided with ;a collar 2 forming a shoulder which bears against the outer end of a spiral inner main spring gf-arranged within the spoke, the inner residing at Silver provements in Spring-'Wheels, of"

tension of the s otions of the same in the -20-correspondingly-numbered lines in Fig. 1.

parts of .the improved E represents a plurality of main radial various means.

end Ofsaid spring resting her shoes inwardly, thereby against the hub. The collar 6 is larger than the opening f and therefore operates as a stop for limiting-the outward movement of the main rod E- under the action of the spring 9. The collar 6 is preferablv adjustably secured to the guide rod E by providlng thesame with an internal screw thread and engaging. the same with an external screw thread on the guide rod, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By adjustingthe collars e outwardly or inwardly on the rodsE, the prii'igs G may be regulated so that the load is distributed uniformly over the springs and any difference in the tension of these springs when manufactured is compensated for.

springs interposed between the ends of each /1nner shoe on opposite sides of its slide rod and the adjacent part of the periphery of the P111]. These outer main springs together with the inner main springs serve tollOld the inner shoes in their outward or projectingposition and yieldingly support the load which is imposed on the same.

H represents a plurality of auxiliary radial slide orguide rodswhich alternate with the main slide rods and each of which is secured at its outer end to the central part of an outer shoe while its inner end is arranged in an opening 2? formed in ,the rim between two spokes thereof. Each of the auxiliary guide rods is surrounded by an auxiliary spiral spring J which bears at its outer end against the inner side ofthe respective outer shoe while its inner end bears against the periphery of the rim. The outward movement of each outer shoe and the expansion of its companion spring J is limited by a .cap or hollow cup-shaped stop collar j arranged on the inner end of the auxiliary slide rod and bearing against the inner side of the rim. The collar is preferably adjustably connected with the slide rod H so as to permit shifting the collar lengthwise of the rod H and thus adjust the tension of the several springs of the'whecl.

ability of the collar j may be for instance, 7 Figsl and Q, by a screw stem 7: projecting outwardly from the inner side of the collar 7' and entering a threaded opening in the end of the auxiliary slide rod. Upon tightening the collar j the outer shoes are drawn in- This adjustwardly and the latter in turn draw the in increasing the inner and outer shoes wheelis in 0 I cramping of t copies of this patent may tension on the several springs, whereby the same are stifiened and better adapted for supporting heavy loads, while upon loosening said collars the springs are permitted to expand more fully and therefore become softer in which condition they are better suited for carrying light loads. As the wheel rotates the several shoes around the rim. are pressed inwardly as the load is brought to bear successively on the shoes and as the shoes are relieved from the load the same'are again projected by the load. Owing to theseveral shoes overlapping each other in the manner shown, the pressure of the load is-brought'to bear-gradually on each shoe and a practically continuous support is provided on, the ground, so that the wheel runs smoothly and uniformly without any arring in substantially the same manner as in wheels having continuous pneumatic tires; A

In order to permit the slide rods of the to rock slightly as the pressureof the load is brought gradually on the same, the openings in the run which receive these rods are lined with bushings m of rubber or other elastic or flexible material, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. By this means the rods are free to slide in the rim as the shoes are retracted and projected when the erat-ion, thereby preventing 1e rods in the rim and p'er the'eushioning devices to operate freely at all times. For the purpose of still further eliminating any unevenness in the surface of the wheel which bears on the round an endless tire L ofrubber, leather or other elastic or flexible material may be placed around mitting be obtained for the outer side hi t/he shoes.

This tire may be channel-shaped in cross section, so as to fit the shape of the shoes, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thereby hold the tire: against lateral displacement on the shoes. For convenience in applying or removing the tire from the shoes, the tire may be split and the ends thereof scraped, as shown at 7, which ends are overlapped and detachably secured to each other by rivetsll,

as shown, or by-any other suitable means.

I cla m as my invention: A spring wheel comprising a hub, a run,

hollow spokes connecting the hub and rim, 7

mainguide rods passing through openings in the rim and having their inner ends arranged within the spokes, main'springs ar ranged within the spokes and bearing against said" main rods, innerisupporting shoes connected with the outer ends of said main rods, outer supporting shoes bearing against the inner shoes. auxiliayy guide rods each secured at its outer end to one of the outer shoes and passing through anopening in the'rim. and means for adjusting the tension of said springs comprising a hollow cup-shaped collar fitting over the inner end of each auxiliary guide rod and bearing against the inner side of /the rim. and a screw stem projecting out/wardly from the inner side of said collar and engaging with a threaded opening in the inner end of said auxiliary guide, rod. e \Vitness my hand this 10th day of 'September, 1910.

ROBERT STOCK..

Vitnesse's:

Trmo. L. Pat/PP, E. M. GRLy'HI-I M.

V five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G. 

